Various Artists: Music For A Revolution Vol. 2 - Guinea's Syliphone Recording Label 1968-1980

Radio Martiko LP 014 (Do LP) - € 38
Beautiful, touching Folk / Funk / Afro-Cuban Jazz compilation
"On October 2 1958, after over 60 years of colonial rule, Guineans voted overwhelmingly for their independence, and Guinea was declared a Republic with Sékou Touré as President. Guinea was the first of West Africa’s Francophone colonies to gain independence. To free Guinea from its colonial legacy, president Touré sought to restore dignity to his nation and give cause for Guineans to take pride in their culture, history and newfound freedom. To achieve this, he instructed his government to implement new cultural policies that were intended to revitalise and celebrate indigenous culture. The focus of these new policies was on music.

In 1961, President Touré launched authenticité, the name of his new cultural policy for Guinea. One of its first acts was to assemble the best Guinean musicians into a new state-sponsored orchestras that were tasked with presenting traditional Guinean music in a new and modern style. All musicians in Guinea’s orchestras were officially designated as members of the public service. During the years of Sékou Touré’s presidency (1958 – 1984), the government’s cultural policy of authenticité was applied strictly to the creative arts. Guinea’s sole political party, the Parti Démocratique de Guinée exercised complete authority over artistic production. The scale of the Guinean government’s commitment and efforts to invigorate its indigenous musical cultures was unmatched in Africa, and it presented a clear contrast to the minimal endeavours undertaken by Guinea’s former colonial rulers.

From 1967 to 1983, Guinea’s government presented selections of songs from the Voix de la Révolution catalogue on its own recording label, Syliphone. These recordings were described as ‘the fruit of the revolution’. Syliphone was revolutionary in many aspects: it was the first recording label to feature traditional African musical instruments such as the kora and balafon within an orchestre setting; it was the first to present the traditional songs of the griots within an orchestre setting; and it was the first government-sponsored recording label of post-colonial Africa.[...]"

Tracklisting:

Super Boiro Band: So I Si Sa

Bembeya Jazz National: Armée Guinéenne

Kaloum Star: Maliba

Balla Et Ses Balladins: Nyo

Quintette Guinéenne: Douga

Le Simandou De Beyla: Festival

Horoya Band: Zoumana

Kaloum Star: Gbassikolo

Sombory Jazz De Fria: Nana

Syli Authentic: Fabara

Balla Et Ses Balladins: Paulette

Band Kankan: Deny